In the first joint application round of 2023, the international Master’s degree programmes of the University of Turku attracted a total of 5,958 applications. The number of applications grew by a record-breaking 76 percent compared to the number of applications in 2022. The greatest growth was seen in the Master’s degree programmes in Gender Studies and in Mechanical Engineering.
The University of Turku had a total of 15 international Master’s degree programmes taught in English open for applications during the first joint application round of the year on 4–18 January 2023. In the joint application, applicants can submit applications to up to three programmes at the University of Turku. No Bachelor’s degree programmes were open for applications since there will be no intake for English-taught Bachelor’s degree programmes at the University of Turku this year.
The number of applicants and applications broke the records of the University of Turku both in total and in proportion to the number of programmes. A total of 5,958 applications were received from 5,052 applicants. The number of applications grew by 76 percent when compared to 2022. In the 2022 application round, 3,378 applications were submitted to 16 programmes, 14 of which were Master’s degree programmes.
At the same time as the joint application, there were also separate application rounds for two joint Master’s programmes by the EC2U Alliance and for the Master’s Degree Programme in Finnish and Other Finno-Ugric Languages. 92 applications were submitted to the Sustainable Cities and Communities, 22 to European Languages, Cultures and Societies in Contact, and 5 to Finnish and Other Finno-Ugric Languages. All three programmes received more applications compared to the last application round.
Applicants Represent over 120 Nationalities
There were no new programmes included in the 2023 joint application round. All of the participating degree programmes received a record number of applications. The Gender Studies programme, which has an intake every other year, had the highest relative increase in the number of applications: 309 applicants (compared to 113 in 2021).
A big growth was also seen in the Master’s Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering with 584 applications (compared to 257 in 2022) and in Information and Communication Technology with 1,137 applications (522). They were also among the top three most popular programmes, along with the Global Innovation Management, 928 (514).
The applicants represent 121 nationalities. Over 90 percent of the applicants were from outside the EU/EEA. Most applications were submitted by Asian (72 percent) and African (18 percent) applicants. Most applications were received from Pakistan (1,116), Bangladesh (941), Nigeria (486), Sri Lanka (441), Iran (275), Finland (245), India (234), China (233), Ghana (146) and Nepal (138).
Sustainably Increasing the Number of International Students
The number of applications for international degree programmes at the University of Turku has been increasing every year, and in recent years, the growth rate has only accelerated. The same trend can be seen in universities across Finland.
In its International Programme 2021–2030, the University of Turku has set a goal of doubling the number of international Master’s degree students by 2030. The growth in the number of applications is encouraging but is not a goal in itself.
“Our goal in student recruitment is to fill the quotas for our programmes with as qualified, committed and motivated students as possible. Positively, despite the huge growth in the number of applications, it seems that the quality of the applications has not suffered," says Mari Kähkönen, Head of Admission Services.
The admission results will be announced to the applicants on 30 March 2023 and new students will start their studies in the autumn of 2023.
